In the construction of structures employing sheet piles, the piles are set in place and are lifted and removed by connecting the piles to the hoist cable of a crane. The upper end of the sheet pile commonly includes a bore such that a hoisting cable can be connected to the upper end of the sheet pile. For a number of reasons, the conventional methods and apparatus providing for attachment of the hoisting cable to the upper end of the sheet pile are inconvenient, unduly labor intensive, time consuming, and in some cases, dangerous.
Attention is also directed to the following prior art patents which are cited as illustrative of related prior art apparatus, such patents including the Ely U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,987, issued Aug. 12, 1980; the Peltonen U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,270, issued May 7, 1974; and the Kurtz U.S. Pat. No. 1,651,607, issued Dec. 6, 1927. Attention is further directed to the Boissonnet U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,062, issued July 21, 1981; the Looker U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,136, issued Jan. 22, 1963; and the Matejicek U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,954, issued Oct. 23, 1962.